Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan praised Abhishek Sharma after India secured a six-wicket win against New Zealand in the third T20I at the Hnry Stadium, Wellington, on Tuesday. He highlighted how a few fans question Abhishek’s place in the team after a few poor outings.
Abhishek completed his fifty off just 15 balls as he was able to hit the ground running in the Powerplay overs, in which India posted 118 runs.
The left-hander eventually went on to score a magnum opus knock of 113 runs off 38 balls, including nine fours and 11 sixes. This is Abhishek’s fourth T20I century as he once again proved his mettle.
The southpaw added 133 runs off just 43 balls with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who scored 45 runs off just 19 balls, for the opening alliance.
Irfan Pathan said on his YouTube Channel, “If anything goes wrong, even a little bit, people want him to be dropped. This happens especially on social media; I am not talking about the team management or selectors. They are very clear; they know that he is our number one player and performs whenever he gets a chance.
Pathan recalled the T20 World Cup final when Sharma scored a quickfire fifty against New Zealand despite not being in form throughout the tournament.
He added, “You would remember the World Cup final. I had given a statement that I would still back him when he was not performing. He has done a wonderful job. He is the best and most fearless hitter in the world. The way he hits on the off side is unbelievable.”
The 2007 T20 World Cup winner added that the bowlers will continue to struggle if he try to bowl the same line against Abhishek Sharma.
“If you keep bowling the same line to him, allowing him to play on the off side, he won’t spare you. That’s why it is very difficult to bowl to him. If the pitch is not slow, or you don’t change your lines again and again, it is difficult to survive. The century was a once-in-a-lifetime achievement because scoring a century on New Zealand soil is not a regular thing for an Indian player.”
The fourth T20I between India and New Zealand will be played at Eden Park, Auckland, on Friday.
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